Comments (15)

Too many people in local authorities are receiv
Ing a level of pay which is unsustainable. The problem we have is that these people don't care about the long term,only getting to the end of their own careers and a fat pension.

Too many people in local authorities are receiv
Ing a level of pay which is unsustainable. The problem we have is that these people don't care about the long term,only getting to the end of their own careers and a fat pension.steveG

Governments very rarely "give" money away so I suspect there are a bucket load of conditions attached to their generosity. Much like Nestle "giving" baby milk to the third world and then starting to charge for it when mothers could no longer produce their own...

Governments very rarely "give" money away so I suspect there are a bucket load of conditions attached to their generosity. Much like Nestle "giving" baby milk to the third world and then starting to charge for it when mothers could no longer produce their own...Rememberscarborough

Well I am in favor of this for once. Bolton needs huge investment - God I hate myself for saying that.

But rightly the conditions attached were probably too deep for the council to achieve anything over the next couple of years. I do think though the council should be looking at new revenue streams from outside of the borough and adopting a tax policy on companies such as Starbucks who wish to trade in the town.

Tough one this...

Well I am in favor of this for once. Bolton needs huge investment - God I hate myself for saying that.
But rightly the conditions attached were probably too deep for the council to achieve anything over the next couple of years. I do think though the council should be looking at new revenue streams from outside of the borough and adopting a tax policy on companies such as Starbucks who wish to trade in the town.
Tough one this...Beyond News Forum

Beyond News Forum wrote:
Well I am in favor of this for once. Bolton needs huge investment - God I hate myself for saying that.

But rightly the conditions attached were probably too deep for the council to achieve anything over the next couple of years. I do think though the council should be looking at new revenue streams from outside of the borough and adopting a tax policy on companies such as Starbucks who wish to trade in the town.

Tough one this...

Yes, I would probably agree with the insentive regarding rejuventating enterprise and other feasible business-oriented means to generate more income in the borough. I'm not sure if the exploitation of the tax loop-hole via legitimate/legal avoidance schemes is morally acceptable but they are 'legal', just as Star Bucks have demonstrated by payining a tiny slither of tax from their Three-Billion amount in sales. Although I hasten to add, not until they came under great scrutiny and immense crtiticism with many punters choosing boycott their product.

[quote][p][bold]Beyond News Forum[/bold] wrote:
Well I am in favor of this for once. Bolton needs huge investment - God I hate myself for saying that.
But rightly the conditions attached were probably too deep for the council to achieve anything over the next couple of years. I do think though the council should be looking at new revenue streams from outside of the borough and adopting a tax policy on companies such as Starbucks who wish to trade in the town.
Tough one this...[/p][/quote]Yes, I would probably agree with the insentive regarding rejuventating enterprise and other feasible business-oriented means to generate more income in the borough. I'm not sure if the exploitation of the tax loop-hole via legitimate/legal avoidance schemes is morally acceptable but they are 'legal', just as Star Bucks have demonstrated by payining a tiny slither of tax from their Three-Billion amount in sales. Although I hasten to add, not until they came under great scrutiny and immense crtiticism with many punters choosing boycott their product.Reebok Rhythm

stantheman133 wrote:
Only answer is don't vote for labour, but a lot of the people in Bolton would vote for a donkey if it had a Labour collar on.

I cant help but think a large portion of Labour voters are the sort of folk that would be except from council tax due their low recorded household income.

[quote][p][bold]stantheman133[/bold] wrote:
Only answer is don't vote for labour, but a lot of the people in Bolton would vote for a donkey if it had a Labour collar on.[/p][/quote]I cant help but think a large portion of Labour voters are the sort of folk that would be except from council tax due their low recorded household income.thealexweb

steveG wrote:
Too many people in local authorities are receiv
Ing a level of pay which is unsustainable. The problem we have is that these people don't care about the long term,only getting to the end of their own careers and a fat pension.

Nope - that just isn't true. I used to work there. The wages are laughable - sometime up to 50% less than the equivalent in the private sector. The pension used to be good but even that has been hammered now. Hence the reason anybody qualified is fleeing Bolton Council for other jobs.

[quote][p][bold]steveG[/bold] wrote:
Too many people in local authorities are receiv
Ing a level of pay which is unsustainable. The problem we have is that these people don't care about the long term,only getting to the end of their own careers and a fat pension.[/p][/quote]Nope - that just isn't true. I used to work there. The wages are laughable - sometime up to 50% less than the equivalent in the private sector. The pension used to be good but even that has been hammered now. Hence the reason anybody qualified is fleeing Bolton Council for other jobs.aardwolf

The insolvency of our town has many aspects; local authority incompetence, historically mad town planning and road building decisions and the inexplicable isolation of our town from the Metrolink network being just a few. We must also be mindful that since the late 1970s the town has become the focus of intense migration from the South Asian sub continent. Whatever your views on multiculturalism, we have to agree that the modest finances and resources of Bolton have groaned under the weight of the ongoing investment needed to support the huge increase in demand for social benefit payments, housing, health and education that has been created by this unplanned and unforeseen change to the historic population profile of our small metropolitan borough. Bolton's political decision some years ago to volunteer as a national dispersal point for international economic migrants/ asylum seekers has further exacerbated these effects. Unless there is some sort of high level, mature debate about the resource and social implications of all these tensions that bear down in Bolton, it will be difficult for many to accept the validity of the swingeing cuts in facilities and social resources we have seen enacted, especially given the soon to be increased sky high council tax we suffer, in return for increasingly medieval levels of civic provision. Why is our Council so strangely silent on all these issues and what answers does your local councillor have why so many council tax payers pay so much for so little?

The insolvency of our town has many aspects; local authority incompetence, historically mad town planning and road building decisions and the inexplicable isolation of our town from the Metrolink network being just a few. We must also be mindful that since the late 1970s the town has become the focus of intense migration from the South Asian sub continent. Whatever your views on multiculturalism, we have to agree that the modest finances and resources of Bolton have groaned under the weight of the ongoing investment needed to support the huge increase in demand for social benefit payments, housing, health and education that has been created by this unplanned and unforeseen change to the historic population profile of our small metropolitan borough. Bolton's political decision some years ago to volunteer as a national dispersal point for international economic migrants/ asylum seekers has further exacerbated these effects. Unless there is some sort of high level, mature debate about the resource and social implications of all these tensions that bear down in Bolton, it will be difficult for many to accept the validity of the swingeing cuts in facilities and social resources we have seen enacted, especially given the soon to be increased sky high council tax we suffer, in return for increasingly medieval levels of civic provision. Why is our Council so strangely silent on all these issues and what answers does your local councillor have why so many council tax payers pay so much for so little?Old Boltonian

As well as the council increase, don't forget that the police commissioner has also increased the police proportion of the council tax, a double whammy for those in Bolton who have to pay council tax..

As well as the council increase, don't forget that the police commissioner has also increased the police proportion of the council tax, a double whammy for those in Bolton who have to pay council tax..Phil from Smithills

steveG wrote:
Too many people in local authorities are receiv
Ing a level of pay which is unsustainable. The problem we have is that these people don't care about the long term,only getting to the end of their own careers and a fat pension.

how do you work that out ? seeing as it was announced just a day or so ago that wages are now higher in the private sector than the public sector.

[quote][p][bold]steveG[/bold] wrote:
Too many people in local authorities are receiv
Ing a level of pay which is unsustainable. The problem we have is that these people don't care about the long term,only getting to the end of their own careers and a fat pension.[/p][/quote]how do you work that out ? seeing as it was announced just a day or so ago that wages are now higher in the private sector than the public sector.pimpmaster